We all know that anti-communism is at the core of fascism. This short thread proposes an interesting corrolary: much of the anti-Soviet attitude found in formerly socialist Eastern European countries, and ultimately perhaps even the motivation of the significant section of the population that did not stand to gain materially yet still supported the restoration of capitalism and the fracturing of the USSR is resentment at having been excluded from the West’s white supremacist global hegemony. This infatuation with the supposed “superiority” of the West, the internalized inferiority complex and desire to be included among the “white” Europeans as opposer to the “inferior, barbaric asiatics” is deeply embedded in the collective consciousness of especially countries like Poland, Ukraine and the Baltics, but also Romania and much of the Balkans.
The author of the thread cites Georgia as an example with which they are personally familiar, and i can only confirm that i have experienced the same attitudes and self-hatred among Romanians.
Would others who have experience with the cultural attitudes of these countries agree with this thesis?
Absolutely. Poland over 1000 years history is literally entirely filled with wanting to become part of the western Europe. And being refused time after time for over 1000 years. Mostly insignificant episodes from the participation in shortlived Otton III realpolitik up to being NATO’s doormat are hailed as civilizational successes. Our entire culture is filled with the inferiority complex to the west and superiority to every other Slavic nation, and i’m not talking about only last 30 years but basically always.
Would you say that the 45 years of socialism made any dent in these racist attitudes or only further inflamed them when the reaction eventually prevailed? And how can this issue be tackled in the future by socialists so that it does not raise its head again? I guess there would have to take place a prolonged struggle akin to a cultural revolution to reckon with this historical cultural baggage and create a new paradigm of national identity for these countries.
I’d suggest, following my other comment, that as soon as capitalism was reintroduced, there was no other future except a white supremacist, racist future.
The next time, the socialists just need to keep power. A cultural revolution of some kind might speed up the process. But the shift in material conditions by which the comfort of ‘white’ people does not rely on the super exploitation of ‘black’ people will do for more than half the struggle.
Mostly yeah. When i analyze what went wrong, even in the revisionist times, i get “more time was needed” very often, since improvement was visible.
I guess it only supressed them, after 1989 everything exploded anew an took updated stronger forms of blind bootlicking usa and rabid russophobia. Though again, both are stronger in media and in upper social stratas than in population.